A child won’t sit still, interrupts the lesson, or lashes out at another child. Your volunteers are frustrated. Their parents are bracing for another tap on the shoulder. What should your church do next?

Dr. Steve Grcevich welcomes Dr. Robert and Lori Crosby of Reach Hurting Kids Institute to explore what may be happening beneath challenging behavior—and how churches can respond with understanding, connection, and practical support.

Drawing on their research and experience in children’s ministry and mental health care, the Crosbys explain why trauma-informed ministry benefits all children. They introduce Calm, Care, Coach, a memorable framework that helps volunteers respond thoughtfully while maintaining appropriate boundaries and expectations.

This conversation will help pastors, children’s ministry leaders, and volunteers look beyond disruptions to recognize opportunities to communicate Christ’s love and help children belong.

In this episode:

• What trauma means and how difficult experiences can shape a child’s behavior.
• What researchers learned from churches where hurting children felt loved, valued, and connected.
• Why relationships and playful engagement are foundational to ministry.
• How to use Calm, Care, Coach when a child is struggling.
• Why understanding behavior does not mean excusing harmful behavior.
• How teaching practices and ministry environments can help children participate and learn.
• How churches can offer supportive, healing relationships without taking on the role of a child’s therapist.
• Resources for equipping your entire volunteer team.

Resources mentioned

• Reach Hurting Kids Institute
• Trauma-Informed Children’s Ministry: A Practical Guide to Reaching Hurting Kids
• Reach Hurting Kids Workshop
• Research and publications

A next step for your team: Discuss the Calm, Care, Coach framework together. Identify one way you could strengthen relationships or adjust your ministry environment to better support a child who is struggling.

How can your church support people experiencing mental illness—and where do you begin? Steve Grcevich, Ph.D., welcomes Matthew Stanford, Ph.D., and Madeline Stiers, Ph.D., LCSW-S from Houston’s Hope and Healing Center & Institute for a practical conversation about mental health ministry, faith, and belonging.

Together, they explore how churches can respond to mental health needs through trained volunteers, support groups, and connections to professional care. They also address harmful misconceptions about mental illness, the importance of supporting families, and how churches of every size can make a meaningful difference—even with limited funding.

Pastors, ministry leaders, and volunteers will learn how to identify a starting point for their congregation, equip laypeople to offer support, build a referral network, and create space for people navigating mental illness and trauma. With real examples from small and large churches, this episode offers practical next steps for starting or strengthening a mental health ministry.

Links & Resources mentioned:

• Hope and Healing Center & Institute — Learn about the organization and its services. Transforming Lives, Restoring Hope
• Gateway to Hope University — Explore mental health coach training and other training opportunities. Expert Mental Health Training Courses
• Empower Faith Communities — Introductory training for recognizing mental health concerns, responding compassionately, and connecting people with care. learn.gthu.org
• Mental Health Ministry Masterclass — Free training with Dr. Matthew Stanford on launching and sustaining a mental health ministry. GTHU
• Madness & Grace Podcast — More conversations about mental health and faith. GTHU
• Hope Line information — Information about supportive listening, guidance, and referrals.

Episode Summary In this episode of Key Ministry The Podcast, host Dr. Steve Grcevich welcomes Laura Howe, a registered social worker, trainer, and founder of Hope Made Strong. Laura shares her journey from clinical mental health social work to empowering church leaders with practical, sustainable tools for care ministry. Together, they discuss the unintended harms that can occur when churches lack clear care structures, how to prevent volunteer burnout, and why systemic frameworks are essential for both small and large congregations.

Key Takeaways

• Laura’s Journey: How 20 years in clinical social work, peer support leadership, and her personal experience with compassion fatigue led to the creation of Hope Made Strong.
• Unintentional Harm in Care: The dangers of church leaders either pulling away due to insecurity or overextending beyond their level of expertise.
• Support for Leaders, Not Just Congregations: Why Hope Made Strong focuses on equipping care leaders, pastors, and volunteers rather than offering direct care to individuals.
• The Care Protocol Framework: A simple, 4-step framework for handling care needs: Receive, Respond, Report, and Follow Up.
• Scalable Systems for Every Church Size: How structured care processes benefit small, volunteer-led churches just as much as mega-churches.

Featured Guest

• Laura Howe – Registered Social Worker, Founder of Hope Made Strong, and host of the annual Church Mental Health Summit.

Resources Mentioned

• Hope Made Strong: Learn more about care leadership cohorts, templates, and administrative tools at hopemadestrong.org.
• Church Mental Health Summit: An annual online event taking place October 7–10, 2026. https://www.churchmentalhealthsummit.com/home

• • Key Ministry: Discover resources for disability and mental health ministry at keyministry.org.